Eagle Wings

Principal's Message

Greetings Eagle Families,

It was another great week in the nest! Our Eagles continue to get back into the swing of the school year and have dived into their learning through class and school routines, procedures and practice all while showing how to be a friend and classmate to one another.

As we begin our journey together this school year, I want to take a moment to remind all of us that our commitment not only at Alpharetta Elementary, but Fulton County Schools, is to ensure that every school is a safe and supportive place for both students and staff. This means that students, families and staff all play an active role by staying aware, speaking up about concerns, and supporting a culture where safety and respect are expected.

The annual Code of Conduct & Discipline Handbook outlines these expectations and provides important information about student, parent and teacher/staff rights, responsibilities and available support within out building and across Fulton County Schools.

We look forward to another great week of learning ahead!

Yours in partnership,

Ms. Crawford

Important Dates

August:

27th-STEM Night with Innovation Academy 5-7pm

31st-Lunch Visitors & Volunteers begin

September:

4th-Fall Pictures

7th-Labor Day: No School

8th-Academic Partnership Night 5-6:30pm

11th-Grits with Grandparents 7-8am

21st-25th-Fall Break: No School

28th-Bright Star Performance (3rd-5th grade)

30th-Eagle Dash Kick Off

Save the Date

What You Need to Know

Morning Carpool & Arrival

Due to the population growth of the Alpharetta area, more & more drivers are using Mayfield Road as a means to get to their morning destination. Please take note of the "No left turn from 7:10-7:40am" signs that are now located at the main and bus rider entrances. By helping to adhere to this, the flow of traffic can continue while ensuring that our students who arrive by car are in their class by 7:40am.

Beginning this school year, morning carpool will end at 7:35 am. Ending at this time allows for students to walk to their class and be in their seat by 7:40am, which is the start of our instructional day. If you are arriving after 7:35 am, you will be directed to park and walk your child to the front door. If the bell rings during this time, you will need to sign you child in on our Checkmate system which is located outside the front doors.

*Please note, we have several families with students who participate in our Autism classes and use our main carpool drop off area after 7:35am. This is to help ease their transitions and limit distractions.

Safety During Morning & Afternoon Carpool

We appreciate our families' commitment to student safety. A quick reminder to remain attentive and limit phone use during arrival and dismissal. Your focus helps create a safer environment for all students, staff, and families.

Also, please refrain from cutting through the bus lane during morning and afternoon carpool. This is a significant safety issue.

New Carpool Tags

We have new carpool tags this year. Each family should have received 2 in their red folder during Meet & Greet. Please ensure that these are visible during afternoon dismissal. For questions or tags, please reach out to Jenna Silverman, AP (silvermanj@fultonschools.org).

AES FAMILY HANDBOOK

Please take a moment to review information in our AES Family Handbook. In coming weeks, we will highlight pertinent information you need to know about.

FCS Code of Conduct

Students will be receiving the FCS Code of Conduct in their folders. Please review the FCS Code of Conduct. Parents/guardians must complete the Student Code of Conduct acknowledgment in Infinite Campus by August 31st.

2026-2027CodeofConduct-ENGLISH.pdf

2026-2027CodeofConduct_SPA.pdf

FERPA Information

In accordance with the Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, (FERPA), students under 18 years of age objecting to the release of their information should complete the attached form and email it to the Assistant Principal in order to place their objection in writing.

If you do not wish to have your child's information shared in items such as yearbook, etc., please click here and email form to the Assistant Principal, Jenna Silverman (silvermanj@fultonschools.org), no later than August 31st.

Supporting Positive Student Behavior Through SOAR Expectations

At our school, we are committed to creating a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all students. To support this goal, we teach and reinforce our school-wide behavior expectations through SOAR:

Safe
Ownership
Attentive
Respectful

Throughout the school day, students are expected to demonstrate these behaviors in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, playground, buses, and all other school settings.

What is a SOAR Reminder?

When a student does not meet one of our SOAR expectations, a staff member will provide a SOAR Reminder. A SOAR Reminder serves as an opportunity for the student to reflect on their choices, understand the expected behavior, and make positive adjustments moving forward.

Our behavior system is designed to give students multiple opportunities to correct their behavior before administrative intervention becomes necessary.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd behavior infractions: Student receives a SOAR Reminder.
4th behavior infraction: Student receives an office referral/write-up, which is submitted to the Assistant Principal for review and follow-up.

This process allows teachers and staff to address minor behaviors consistently while providing students with opportunities to improve and demonstrate our SOAR expectations.

We ask that parents/guardians review the SOAR reminder, sign the form, and return it to the homeroom teacher. See below for what the form entails:

How Families Can Help

We encourage families to discuss SOAR expectations at home and reinforce the importance of being:

Safe in actions and choices
Taking Ownership of behavior and learning
Being Attentive and ready to learn
Showing Respect to peers, staff, and school property

By working together, we can help all students develop the skills necessary for success both in and out of the classroom. Please reach out to Jenna Silverman, AP, with any questions (silvermanj@fultonschools.org)

Thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to foster a positive school culture where every student can SOAR!

From the Cafeteria

Students are now able to purchases snacks daily as well as ice cream on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students will need to have money on their account in order to purchase these items. Please reach out to Lawanda Blyther, Cafeteria Manager, with any questions (blyther@fultonschools.org).

TAG Information

Screening for the Gifted Program takes place twice a year for Fulton County Schools, and every student is screened every year. Automatic Screening takes place in August- September. Parents will be notified before any testing begins. Students referred for testing will be tested during the Fall semester. All parents will be notified of eligibility by December. The Classroom Screening will take place for a two-week period from January – February. Students Identified for testing will be tested January-March. All parents will be notified of eligibility by the end of the school year. For more information please read the documents below:

Notification_Screening_Referral_Gifted_Students_2026-27_Accessible.pdf

Notificacion_Seleccion_Referencia_Estudiantes_Superdotados_2026-27_Accesible.pdf

You can also visit the following website for more information: FCS TAG Department Website

If you have further questions, please reach out to our TAG teachers, Kellie Cleveland (clevelandk@fultonschools.org) and Lindsey Messina (messinal@fultonschools.org).

From the Clinic

Does your child have medical needs?

Please take a moment to read information regarding FCS Health Services.

2026-2027 DHS School Health Services Parent Information Letter - English

26-27 DHS School Health Services Parent Information Letter - Spanish

Are there any medical conditions or concerns that we should know about?

Please contact:

Tamera Shellington

Cluster Nurse for AES

shellingtont@fultonschools.org

ArtsNOW!

ArtsNOW is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 20 years of experience reshaping education. Through programming that integrates visual arts, music, dance, digital arts and drama into academic lessons, ArtsNOW sets the stage for educators to become effective in their teaching — and for students to achieve greater academic and personal success.

What is arts integration?

The Kennedy Center defines arts integration as an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process that connects an art form and another subject area, allowing them to meet evolving objectives in both.

Arts integration is designed to be a joyful, active and memorable learning experience. Incorporating the five recognized arts disciplines — visual arts, dance arts, theater arts, music arts and digital media arts — an arts integrated curriculum aligns with common core standard practices and fine arts standards. The arts become an approach to teaching, as well as the vehicle for learning.

What does arts integration look like in AES?

At AES, teachers are training in the four arts disciplines: theatre, visual arts, music, and dance. Teachers are learning to integrate arts content standards and objectives and academic content standards and objectives to engage students in a process that encourages mastery in both areas. Additionally, students attend weekly STEAM classes that introduce and reinforce the arts disciplines' routines, strategies, and vocabulary for smoother integration in the academic classroom.

This month in STEAM

Students are learning theatre strategies and vocabulary as a way to engage with reading/language arts. Students will show mastery of retelling a story and analyzing point of view through creating and performing plays.

Parent Resources

ArtsNowLearning.org provides materials and activities for at-home connections. You can also find a weekly activity that aligns with the week's STEAM class highlighted in your homeroom teacher's weekly newsletter. See https://artsnowlearning.org/resources/at-home-lessons/ for more resources.

Reach out to Ms. Wilkinson (wilkinsonrm@fultonschools.org) for more information

AES is Turning 70!

Join the PTO

Please consider joining the PTO--they provide incredible resources and support to our students, staff, and community. For more information, click here: Alpharetta Elementary School PTO - Home

From FCS

NOTE: An online version of this email is available on our website at fultonschools.org/boardbulletin

August 21, 2026

The Fulton County Board of Education met on Thursday, August 20, 2026, for its regularly scheduled School Board meeting at the South Learning Center. The full agenda is available via Simbli, a website that makes the Board agenda and all supporting documents available online. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS homepage, with recordings available within 48 hours.

Superintendent’s Report

Dr. Mike Looney reported that the administration is evaluating opportunities related to underutilized district buildings in planning Region A (South of the City of Atlanta) and Region C (North of the Chattahoochee River). He indicated that he plans to seek Board permission to engage community stakeholders in discussions to explore potential future uses and partnerships for these facilities.

Tentative Approval of FY2027 Millage Rate

Dr. Looney recommended a tentative millage rate of 18.08 mills, an increase from the current 17.08. He emphasized that the recommendation comes after an extensive districtwide effort to identify savings and efficiencies through the GLIDE initiative, which has generated approximately $50 million in savings.

Dr. Looney also explained that the recommendation comes at a time of significant uncertainty surrounding the county’s property tax process. A difference between the Fulton County Tax Assessor and Tax Commissioner has required legal action through a Temporary Collection Order to force tax bills to be sent. A future delay would have created cash flow challenges for local governments, including FCS, that depend on a predictable property tax revenue stream. The county still does not have a certified tax digest, but the district must move forward with its financial planning and millage rate process.

Against that backdrop, Dr. Looney said the administration believes the proposed millage rate represents the best long-term financial option for the district. The recommendation is intended to protect Fulton County Schools from recurring budget deficits, maintain appropriate reserves, and provide greater financial stability as the district manages uncertainty related to revenues, enrollment, inflation, and other potential costs.

Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef provided the Board with the financial analysis supporting the recommendation. District projections show that the proposed rate would allow FCS to maintain reserve levels above the Board’s minimum policy requirement over the next five years. Lower millage rate options would cause reserves to fall below that threshold and require the district to increasingly use savings to cover ongoing operating expenses.

Mr. Dereef also presented the potential impact of the proposed millage rate on homeowners, providing examples based on different home values. To help homeowners better understand how the proposed rate could affect them, FCS has placed a calculator on its website that allows users to estimate the potential change in their school property taxes based on their home value and certain applicable exemptions. Tax Rate Calculator - Fulton County School System

The administration’s recommendation seeks to balance the impact on taxpayers with the need to protect the district’s long term financial stability and ensure FCS can continue supporting its educational programs, employees, and students.

Three public meetings will be held to provide the community with an opportunity to comment on the tentative millage rate before the Board takes final action.

The full presentation can be found here.

Board Policy Update

The following policies were approved this month:

Board Policy IFBI Artificial Intelligence (AI): The policy sets expectations for using district-approved AI tools to support teaching, learning, and operations while protecting privacy, security, and academic integrity. It also requires human oversight, prohibits inappropriate or harmful uses of AI, and ensures staff remain responsible for decisions and work supported by AI.
Board Policy IHF Graduation Requirements: The revision removes references to specific graduation cohorts so the policy reflects overarching graduation requirements for all current students. Historical cohort-specific regulations will be archived, reducing duplication and confusion without changing current graduation requirements.
Board Policy ECG Equipment and Supplies Records: The policy is being rescinded because its content is now addressed in Board Policy DI Accounting and Reporting.

New Hires & Promotions

The following individual was approved for a new position at the Board meeting:

Lauren Malekebu, Executive Director of Operational Planning

Board Recognitions

Each month, the Board recognizes outstanding students, staff, and schools honored at the state, national, or international level. Honorees must have placed first at the regional or state level or be among the top finishers at the national or international level. The following teams and individuals were recognized at the meeting:

MaryKay Berry was honored with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) Jim Puckett Outstanding Educator Award
James Tharp was selected as the 2026-2027 National School Air Quality Fellow by the Center for Green Schools

2026-27 Community Meetings with Board Members

Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting open to all community members. The sessions provide an opportunity for direct contact with community members and give Board members a chance to listen to local issues and concerns. Click here to see the meeting schedules of all Board members.

Introducing SchoolCash Online for Fulton County Schools

Fulton County Schools is excited to introduce SchoolCash Online—a convenient and secure way for families to pay for school-related fees. With this new system, you can easily pay for items such as field trips, classroom activities, parking permits, yearbooks, and more—all from the comfort of home.

SchoolCash Online helps reduce the need for cash and checks in our schools while giving families a safe and simple way to make payments using a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

Getting Started

Beginning July 1, 2026, please be on the lookout for a registration email from:

"KEV Group at noreply@stagingschoolcashonline.com."

The subject line will read: “Fulton County Schools shared a student with you.”

For step-by-step registration instructions, please visit the SchoolCash Online webpage at https://fultonschools.schoolcashonline.com/.

Learn more about SchoolCash Online on the FCS district website at www.fultonschools.org/schoolcash.

Student Device Information

Please take a moment to read Fulton County's Device Handbook.

FCS 26-27 Student Device One-to-One Handbook- English

Families will need to complete the Device Use Agreement.

The Device Use Agreement acknowledgment will be completed in Infinite Campus as part of the Student Code of Conduct process. Once Student Discipline releases the updated materials, schools will be able to reference the acknowledgment in Infinite Campus.

Optional Device Protection (ODP) Enrollment Information:

This window remains open through September 25th. We encourage all schools to actively promote this program with families, particularly our middle schools, where students have recently been issued brand-new Chromebooks.

The Optional Device Protection Plan helps families offset the cost of accidental device damage and can significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses for repairs or replacement. Without coverage, families may be responsible for repair costs ranging from $30-$270, with replacement costs up to $500 depending on the extent of the damage.

Protecting devices early helps keep students connected to learning while minimizing unexpected costs for families. Thank you for your partnership in helping ensure a successful and uninterrupted learning experience for our students.

For more information, please contact Dr. Taylor Barton at BartonT@fultonschools.org

Check Your Bus Route

As you prepare for the first day of school, please note that there have been some changes to bus routes. If you haven't already, we encourage you to check Here Comes the Bus for updated information on your student's bus route to ensure a smooth start to the year.

Eagle Wings